A 90-year-old veteran of the Korean War has received a high honour for his sacrifice during the conflict and his advocacy for veterans since.
Ray Silvis received the Korean Ambassador For Peace Medal.
Silvis received the medal Friday morning at Shoreview at Riverside Assisted Living Residence on Drouillard Road.
The medal is awarded to Canadian servicemen and women who served in the Korean War as an expression of appreciation from the Korean government. It was originally given to those who returned to South Korea through the Revisit Program but was expanded to include those who could not make the long journey.
For Silvis, the conflict is never far from his mind.
"I lost some friends over there, and I lost some friends since we've been back," he said. "When you've been there and you know what others go through, you have to remember them and what they did for this country."
Silvis is the past president of the Korean War Veterans Association of Windsor and Essex County.
In 2012, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and a Quilt of Valor in 2016.